By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 1 July 2017:
In a surprise move, a senior member of the so-called National Salvation Government of Khalifa Ghwell has announced that Libya’s Jewish community has the right to return as well as be compensated for any losses its members may have suffered.
The call was made by Mohamed Ali Triki, a top official in Ghwell’s “foreign ministry”, on Thursday at a three-day conference held on the Greek island of Rhodes. It was organised to mark the 50th anniversary of the last exodus of Jews from Libya as a result of the 1967 Six-Day War. Libya’s Jewish community was part of the national fabric, Triki was quoted as saying, adding that the national salvation government would enable them to return.
The right-to-return was supported by Omar Gawairi, the Beida-based government’s former information chief, who was also attending.
Ghwell is reported today to have angrily denied reports that Triki was speaking on his behalf in Greece. He also claimed he had no prior knowledge of the Rhodes conference.
Announced three months ago and organised by Rafael Luzon, head of Libyan Jewry abroad, its aims was reconciliation between the exiled Libyan Jewish community and their original home country.
Although it was not officially supported by the Israeli government, one Israeli minister attended – Ayoob Qara, the Arab Druze politician who is minister of communications.
There are no thought to be almost no Jews left in Libya.
